Why doesn’t my car sell?
 

Take a look at the ad for the 2003 M3 I am selling on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace and let me know why you think it doesn’t sell. Obviously the M3 isn’t for everybody and the SMG transmission has a bad rap.

I’ve had no response from Craigslist and I’ve had about 12 people on Facebook marketplace ask if it’s available. Both ads are identical.

https://charleston.craigslist.org/cto/d/picayune-2003-bmw-m3/7436624978.html

140k on the clock

Interest in a vehicle drops precipitously as mileage goes up.

I personally wont look at or consider anything above 75k and a 75k vehicle to me is a throw away that I'm not paying $17 for.

Generally

I think for the general public anything north of 100k is scary to them.

Beautiful car. For me, SMG is a deal killer...

Looks absolutely great. No stories or excuses. That is the sort of car I always buy.

I like to use a bit of a "narrative" in my ads. Tell a story. Why you fell in love. How it was your baby. How your scheming wife is divorcing you and you are forced to sell...

(well, maybe that is a little over the top, but you get the idea)

Tell about the clean carfax, never hit, not tracked, and similar - if true.

And then there is price. Research the heck out of it. I am not in the market for an M3. I don't know the market. Price it so that it is perfect for that ONE buyer. It only takes one. I will confess that I have been buying and selling all sorts of junk recently. You make money on the buy, but the sell really is helped out with a compelling story.

As for the miles? An enthusiast can see through those. How many of us have ancient porsches? I had a high miles E36 way back. Well maintained cars are a bargain. Maybe, because you are SO confident in the car, you offer to pay for a PPI with full price?

Sell it!!!

You are selling a vehicle that appeals to enthusiasts. Manual transmissions are preferred over the SMG. Though 140k miles is not low, it not really high. However, with a higher mileage vehicle, people want more details. Chronicle the maintenance, the joy it has brought you, the love you put into it. Your ad looks like all the other Joe Sellers out there who don't take the time to write a proper, compelling advertisement. People buy from people, and buyers want that warm fuzzy feeling that they trust the seller. I also think you asking $3-4k too much.

The SMG has a bad rep, but its not a bad rap necessarily. They fail, and when they do its expensive.
But I think the big problem is the vanilla nature of the ad along with the mileage. Folks that would even consider an e46 with 140k need to know why its not a ticking time bomb-enthusiast owned, all the niggles taken care of yada. 17.5 for a car with a poor reliability rep requires that to be defused.

Put it on CarGurus and Autotrader. You should get much better results.

It’s too expensive.

Also after this thread you should remove the last line in the ad...

Needs better photos

^^^ This

The reason for something (almost anything, in fact) not selling ... is price. We often don't want to hear that, but it is almost universally true. There is a price at which your car will sell - finding a number that makes sense for you and prospective buyers is the challenge.

_

I love that car. But if its worth $17,500 with 140k on the clock, then I am giddy to see what my dad's '04 will pull in with only 60k miles.

Change the black rims back to the original finish. The black does nothing for the car.

My guess ? It's the grey interior and Horse Dildo shifter.

Also you don't mention the big gotchas:
- subframe cracks addressed (they exist even if not visible)
- VANOS done ?
- Rod bearings done ?

Price? I disagree... Have you guys followed the M3 market ? Red or brown interior + manual and welded chassis - he'd get 25 all day

I jest, I jest, but my similar 2003 cab is going to get a manual conversion next week... $4300. Then shocks (me). then I'll chase down the $%$#%$# squeaks in the top... Those cars have fantastic engines but that grey interior is heinous - I know, I have one... +1 on black rims making wheels invisible - finally put it on a real website, craiglist is for crackpots looking for deals and trade for their coat hangers collection, and also more details

Tyler Hoover would buy it.

Looks like it's bc of the slush box....


Standard trans swap and get 25k, or lower price.

[QUOTE=Deschodt;11592808]My guess ? It's the grey interior and Horse Dildo shifter.


Lol...I saw that also. :)

As already said:

Wheel color and shifter, put 'em back to factory. I think people get turned off by PO's upgrades, especially if they are just cosmetic. Boy racer touches convey the notion that a boy racer drove the thing to within an inch of its life.

I would agree to the above post. It's like smashing your new girlfriend for the first time, you flip her over to 'take it home', and you see a tattoo with another guys name there in BIG letters

I made an ad like that once. Didn't get any hits in 2 weeks. I was being honest and fair, didn't want to make it look fancy like a cheezy dealer. But the wife wants garage space back, she's like WTF. She Looks at ad: my pictures are terrible.

Makes me go take good pictures at sunset. A-and she says they suck too. I work my very hardest and take the bestest pictures I can, tripod, long exposures, lots of angles. She picks out the best ones, ad goes up on sunday and car is sold on monday.

So... I'm not a bmw fan, I think the photos make the car's color feel depressing. That car is from an era after I thought bmw were cool, so I'm not a good judge but: find another site for your photos and take them at a better time of day. Before sunrise? Storms in distance? Dramatic light? Bring out some gold, some mist, cool clouds in background... mountains, a winding road? Dew on green grass? Inspire a dream and imagination, cool and contented, a neat car in a lovely place.

Your pictures are high contrast taken at noon. It is too bright, too hot, bright pavement, no trees, I don't want to be there. I see your pictures I want to bury my head in the closet and escape that light.

It only needs an LS7 and tremec transplant to sell...but you'd also be much less likely to have it listed.

The E46 M3 has what I think to be one of the best straight 6 engines BMW built. 333HP in 2003?

I keep fighting with myself over that engine, I keep looking on Ebay for an engine trans ecu to swap into my E30. I keep debating it.

My plan was to rebuild the 2.8 in there and finally supercharge it. Then I keep coming back to the S54.

I would try Car Guru or Autotrader. I think you will have better luck there. FB and CL are for people who want a bargain.

I think it's because of the seats being reclined as far as they are. When I noticed them, my immediate thought was that the owner doesn't pull their pants up.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UfXs3qjPNNc?start=21" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Craigslist is for retired old guys with no money.

I'd try Cars.com or maybe Cars and Bids. You might also take different pics away from the ghetto looking neighborhood.

I think the seats look reclined because the phone pictures were taken with a 4mm or wider lens.

Bend your knees and get down in perspective for the new shots. Don't show us pictures taken from an angle we would normally see ie standing right in front of the car.

Get your self a better camera, and like others have said, get better lighting too. Documentation photo's are one thing, saleable photo's are another. Look at any of the auctions by 911r on BaT for ideas.

Just trying to help.

Thanks everyone!

I've been looking online and pricing is all over the board. BAT cars are the top dog and FB market place has dogs for the price of mine.

I’ve made a few quick changes to the craigslist ad and will change the both of them when I get back to my laptop.

That said, it's all pictures and pricing...

Everyone wants a manual trans, but after driving it, I really liked the SMG.

I bought it a few months ago to track it, then I decided to keep tracking the 330, as it was already set up.

Since I've only owned it a few months, I don't have any love stories about it. :(
I do need to liven it up though.

I added the last line because I always got, do you need help selling it. I'll remove it.

I paid $15K for it and the parts I added were about $750, with me doing the labor. Looks like I might lose money on this one. :(

The black wheels came with the car. Not my style, but some like it. Because I was going to track it, I bought Apex 18x9.5 wheels and Khumo V720 track tires, but I'd be losing even more money if I left them on the car. I have another thread on widening my 330 rear fenders to fit them. LOL. I need to install the original shift knob. That one was so I could reach the shifter with my race seat installed. The subframe was addressed and I need to add it to the ad with the rod bearings replaced during the recall. No vanos work has been done to my knowledge.

I'm 6'-4", so all my seats are back! :D I'll adjust them for future pictures.

Don’t mention “track” in the ad. It adds no relevant information and people will assume this was on track as well.

+1 on pictures and wheels. Ad looks “run hard and put away wet”.

You need a semi nude buxom blond sprawled across the hood with a “come hither” look in her eye. You could double the price to keep the inquiries at a manageable level.

Trust me on this.

$16.9k

high miles

automatic transmission

pass

For $17k, I would be looking at 10-15 year newer Mustangs with another $100 hp. I have gone the BMW route, and didn't appreciate the delicate electronics, or suspension.

Yeah...ckelly kinda touched on it...a limited number of potential buyers...not everybody wants an M3.

All the above comments but I would also suggest advertising in different markets. Los Angeles CL has these in SMG for $11.7-$24k. Quite a big spread but also a much bigger market. I would advise getting it back to original (if possible) and being more detailed in the post. The story surely adds value.

Edit: I would also do away with the ALL CAPS and 333 HP note. It makes it seems like you're a dealer, not an owner. I would also delete the note on making the 330 a track car. A buyer doesn't want to think his/her money is going into funding a track project. Just some initial thoughts of my personal observations after re-reading the ad. Would much rather be told a story with those important maintenance points below it. I used to have one of these in SMG. Fun cars.

I probably shouldn't admit it, but I only looked at the C/L posting/pics after reading ^^^this^^^.

_

grey interior, I stop looking as soon as I see that on a car

also : no engine bay picture
That is a crucial thing to see on a car for sale..
is it badly repainted, the engine bay will tell
is the engine the right one for the listing, quite often engine bay will show tell tale signs , like wrong manifold 4 cyl instead of 6, missing turbo bits stuff like that.
is it clean

any serious car for sale add must include a few engine bay pics. It is elementary. and saves potential buyers a lot of questions , so it also prevent needless tire kicker questions

I think your new price is fair (I've been following the M3 market ever since I stupidly sold my old one). It's a good candidate for a manual conversion. I love the exterior colour, and the interior colour, but not together. That's beyond your control, though.

I think it is Dove on the inside? That seems to be one of the least desirable colours in the M3 world (though my E36 M3 had it and it was lovely in the summer).

You are correct. I forgot to add pictures of the engine bay. Pictures added.


Both the interior and exterior colors were at the bottom of my list. A black interior would have been better. Seems BMW made a boatload of gray exteriors and interiors though. My 330 is dark gray with a grey interior. Well, it was a grey Interior until I removed it.

I feel you. Mine was Titanium Silver/Black . . . about the most boring clour combo ever offered on an M3.

So...no buxom blonde?

I'm surprised there aren't boy racers breaking down your door. I thought every kid between 15 and 25 would want an M3. Since that isn't happening, I have to assume that there's a problem. If you paid 15 a few months ago, I'd assume that you could get that for it. I always expect folks to offer less, so I would ask a little more, but $17.5 sounds like a fair amount more.

I feel like your ad needs to be a bit more verbose. "subframe issues addressed" doesn't really say much. Did it have subframe issues and they were fixed? Did it NOT have subframe issues, but because they are prevalent the mitigations were proactively installed? How were the issues addressed, and or who addressed them?

The pictures are not the best.

You couldn't find a place with indirect lighting?

All those shadows ruin it.